‘The Last Cowboy’: How to Watch, What Time, What Channel

The Paramount Network‘s The Last Cowboy returns this week for its third episode. The reality TV series follows real-life cowboys gearing up for a massive horse-reining event, and it has picked up a huge following in spite of its late time slot.

The Last Cowboy airs on Wednesdays at 11 p.m. ET on The Paramount Network. The series took a week off after its first two episodes, but now it is returning, and the drama is expected to hit an all-time high. On Aug. 14, the next episode will premiere at 11:03 p.m. ET, immediately following the hit drama Yellowstone.

The Last Cowboy is set in the heart of Texas, where cowboy culture still reigns supreme. The show applies a tried-and-true reality format to the world of high stakes equestrian competition. It follows several different riders gearing up for a season of serious trials.

So far, fans have just begun to be introduced to these competitions, and the riders that take part in them. The first episode presented eight riders — cowboys and cowgirls — all of whom were hoping to compete in the first-ever million-dollar prize in horse reining. It looks like the whole season will build to that point, taking TV viewers along for the ride.

Episode 2 got down to brass tax, following the riders’ preparation for the Cactus Classic, a horse-reining competition. In the process however, they began to deal with the various issues involved in their sport, particularly the health of the horses themselves. Meanwhile, cowgirl Abby tries to handle the pressure of her first competition since going solo. The sport can be unforgiving, particularly for an athlete on their own.

This week, the new episode will find Matt searching for a new horse, according to Paramount’s synopsis. At the same time, Abby finds her practice arena flooded, seriously effecting her competition practice. Finally, Craig will take center stage in this episode, as he looks for ways to make money and fund his practice.

For those unfamiliar with horse-reining, The Last Cowboy is a harrowing watch. It shows some deft skill and cooperation between rider and horses as they display tricks and movements that the average rider could never pull off. These are generally called grouped into circles, spins and stops.

Reining is all practiced at two speeds: the lope and the gallop. Though it originated in western culture, reining is often compared to dressage riding, an exhibition of equestrian skill that borders on dancing or performances art.

The Last Cowboy airs on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 11 p.m. ET on The Paramount Network.